Adjustable picture frame



Dec. 30, 1958 w. c. HARTMAN ADJUSTABLE PICTURE FRAME 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 12, 1957 El. ll

, R N A WM N T ER V A mH C M M L M W BY M 11050 ATTORNEY Dec. 30, 1958 w. c. HARTMAN ADJUSTABLE PICTURE FRAME 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 12, 1957 m m w m WILLIAM C HARTMAN ATTORNEY ADJUSTABLE PICTURE FRAME William C. Hartman, Valley Stream, N. Y. Application August 12, 1957, Serial No. 677,524

1 Claim. (Cl. 40-155) This invention pertains to picture frames. More particularly it is concerned with a picture frame which is adjustable in dimension so as to accommodate pictures of various sizes.

The frame of the present invention finds special use for framing pictures formed on hard board, such as canvas board and the like. Since pictures of this type are customarily framed without a facing glass, a frame of the present invention may be readily adjusted to the size of a particular picture, or it may be removed from a picture of one size and adjusted to apply to another of a different size.

In the last few years, forming pictures, such as paintings, on hard board has increased tremendously both as a vocation and as a hobby. The artist is constantly framing new creations. Often, he desires to frame a painting for a temporary period for display purposes. Often, it is desired for reasons of economy to use a good frame from a discarded work for a new one. But, many times this cannot be done because the rigid frame cannot be enlarged to fit a larger size work; nor can it be readily cut down without damage so as to fit a smaller size work. Further, because conventional frames are made in stock sizes, it is often troublesome as well as ex pensive to make up a frame for an odd size picture.

An object of this invention is, therefore, to provide an adjustable frame which can be expanded or contracted as needed to accommodate a particular size picture.

Another object of this invention is to provide a picture frame which is adjustable to a plurality of selective sizes, and which may be locked in the particular size so that thereafter its size will not accidentally increase or creep to a larger size.

A further object of this invention is to provide a picture frame formed of separate telescoping sections, whereby the frame may be enlarged or reduced in size, as desired.

Another object of the invention is to provide a frame of the foregoing type which finds particular use in accommodating pictures, such as paintings, formed on canvas board or other stiff material; and

A still furtherobject of the invention is to provide a frame of the foregoing type that is formed of plastic material, this material being of considerable advantage because it comes in a wide range of colors.

The invention further lies in the particular construction and arrangement of its component parts and also in their cooperative association with each other to effeet the purposes intended herein.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter from a consideration of the detailed description which follows, taken together with the accompanying drawings wherein an embodiment of the invention is illustrated. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for purposes of illustration and description, and are not to be construed as defining the limits of the invention.

nited States Patent Patented Dec. 30, 1958 In the drawings:

Fig. l is a top plan view of an adjustable picture frame embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional detail showing an arm of one member of the frame telescoped into the arm of another member of the frame;

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail showing an arm of one member of the frame telescoped into an arm of another member of the frame, and showing an ornamental element concealing over the juncture point of the arm members;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the frame;

Fig. 5 is a detail of a locking clip;

Fig. 6 is a cross section of the frame illustrating the arrangement of one of the locking clips; and

Fig. 7 is a cross section of a modified form of the invention and associated locking means.

For a more detailed description of the invention reference is now directed to the several drawings wherein a rectangular picture frame 1 embodying the invention is shown. It comprises a pair of diagonally opposed right angular corner units or members 2 having tubular or hollow arms 3 into the open ends 4 of which telescope complementary tubular arms 5 of a second pair of diagonally opposed right angular corner members 6. The corner members 2 and 6 are identical in configuration and structure, except that the cross sectional areas of the arms of members 6 are slightly smaller so as to enable them to slide or telescope into the arms of membets 2. Further, the arms 5 of members 6 are preferably a little longer than the arms of members 2, in as much as they are intended to slide in or out of the arms of members 2 so as to lengthen or shorten the size of the frame.

The arms 3 and 5 of the respective corner members are recessed o-r offset lengthwise of their undersides along their inner edges to provide complementary shoulders 7 and 8. When the corresponding arms of the corners members are telescoped into one another, shoulders 7 and 8 are aligned or in extension of each other so as to form a continuous shoulder, generally designated 9, about the inner edge of the frame. this shoulder will vary in length, accordingly as the telescoping members are entered further into, or are drawn further out of one another. Shoulder 9 serves as a rest for the marginal edges of a rectangular picture 10, a fragmentary portion of which is shown in broken line in Fig. 4.

The frame is particularly suited for use with pictures, such as paintings, formed on hard canvas board or the like. Pictures of this type do not require 21 facing glass. Accordingly, the frame may be readily and quickly adjusted in size to accommodate a picture of a particular s1ze.

Each of the corner members 2 and 6 is a separate unit, the adjacent arms of which are integral with one another. The corner members may be formed of any suitable material. They are, however, preferably formed of plas tic material, either by moulding or other suitable process. Plastics are desirable since their coloring is inherent, and because they come in a wide range of colors.

A plurality of straps or retainers 11 pivoted at opportune points to the underwall areas 12 of the arms of the frame, are pivotable so as to overhang the open area of the frame, as in Fig. 4, and overlie the back of a picture 10 resting upon the shoulder 9. The retainers are slightly resilient, and are biased at their free ends slightly inwardly of the frame. By this construction when the retainers overlie the back of a hard board picture, they press against the latter and securely retain it upon the shoulder of the frame.

It should now be clear that the area enclosed by the It is obvious that -bers slide into one another.

is desirable-because of its concealing advantages. leaf is arranged so that the spine portion 21 lies trans- -versely of the free edge of the arm 3 on which the leaf a picture of a-selected size. This is done by-simplywithdrawing the arms of members 6 further out or sliding them further into the arms of members 2. Members 2 and 6 may be completely separated for purposes o'f cleaning or otherwise.

As indicated in the drawings,% the facingsurfaces :13 of members '2 and -..6 are'ornamente'd by an aesthetic configuration thereof which may-take various forms. :Further, the surfaces 13 are smooth and free 'of blemishes. So as to protectthis finished outer surface and tomaintain its attractive appearance as long as possible, the several arms-of the telescoping'members enter each other smoothly and-with-a minimum of=friction. This tends to prevent scratching and marking of the finishedsurface of the frame. 7

The smooth telescoping fit of the frame members might tend to cause the latterto--progressively separate or creep apa1t,-especially in cases where-the wall or other supporting structure for the frame is :subject to constant vibration. Thisvdifiiculty is'solved-by the provision ofsuitable means to lock the frame members in their adjusted positions.

With respect to the locking means, there is formed in the arms of the frame=members -2 a plurality of slots 14 with which complementary slots 15 formed in the arms of members 6 are adapted toregister as the respective members are telescope'd. A suitable retainer 16 entered into registered slots in each pair of'telescoping arms prevents the latter from separating from'one another. Here, the slots in each frame member are-arranged in two parallel rows and divided into laterally aligned pairs. The pairs of slots '15 in frame members -6 are progressively registrable with the pairs of slots 14 in frame members 2 as the arms of the respective mem- In making a desired adjust ment of the frame from one size to another, selected pairs of slots in the arms of the respective members are brought into register. The arms 17 of a clip retainer 16 arethen insertedinto registered pairs of slots in each pair of telescoping arms, as indicated in Figs. 4 and 6, whereby the members of the frame are restrained against separation. The openings 18 in each pair of slots preferably diverge slightly away from one another, as appears in Fig. 6. The'C clip is preferably of spring material, and its arms-17 are normally in parallelrelation, so that the arms must be pressed slightly inward when inserting them into the slots. By this arrangement the clip istensioned tightly in the slots in which it is inserted.

It is noted from Fig. 1 that the junctures or points 19 where the telescoping elements enter in one another are discernible. To further ornament the frame-and at the same time conceal these juncture points from view, a

suitable ornament 7.0 is provided, as appears in Fig. 3 -to cover over each juncture point.

These ornaments are fastened in suitable manner, as by welding, to the surfaces at the free ends of the arms of frame members 2. Each ornament is arranged so that a portion thereof will extend beyond the end of the arm on which it is fixed so as to overlie a portion of the adjoining-arm. Here, the ornament '20 takes the form of a leaf. This The is mounted, and so thatone-half 22 of the leaf lies upon the latter arm and the other half overlies the telescoping arm 5. The eyes of the observer are directed to-the center spine portion of the leaf, and accordingly the frame appears to him as being integral throughout.

In the form of the invention above described the arms of frame members 2 and 6 have been shown as the members 6 may be solid. In the modified form in Fig. 7 the arms 4 of the telescoping member 6' are solid. In this form of the invention the latching means for each pair of telescoping arms is provided by a set screw 23 which threads into the solid arm 4'. The projecting shank portion 24 of the screw enters a channel 25 in the underwall of the hollow arm 3 as the two arms telescope. To lock the arms in an adjusted position, the screw is threaded into the solid arm until an enlarged head 26 thereof bears tightly upon underlying wall portions of the arm member 3.

While an embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described in detail, it is to be expressely understood that the invention is not limited thereto. Various changes can be made in the design and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of 'the invention as the same will now be understood by those skilled in the art; and it is my intent therefore-to claim the invention not only as shown and described, but also in all such forms and modifications thereof as may be reasonably construed to be within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A rectangular picture frame that is adjustable in size to accommodaterectangular pictures of different sizes and which provides regardless of its adjusted size a continuous shoulder to support the picture over the entire perimetrical marginal edge of the latter, comprising four separate right angular units each comprising a pair of :elongated adjacent arms forming at the vertex there of-oneof thecorners ofthe frame; wherein the arms of each unit are tubular, each side of the frame is formed of one of the arms'of one unit slidably received in one of the arms of another unit whereby each received arm may be slidably extended relative to the arm in which it is received; and wherein each arm of each unit has a shoulder stepped in from the inner edge ofits underside and extending the full length of the said-edge so as'to coincide with the shoulder of the other arm of the unit whereby theshoulders of the arms of each unit remain in continuation of the shoulders of the arms of the'other units regardless of the extended size ofthe frame; characterized in that the underside of one of the .arms in each side of the frame has a succession of pairs .insertion of the ears to lie against the underside of the outermost arm of therelated sideof the frame and substantially flush therewith.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,202,321 Schleicher Oct. 24. 1916 1,771,039 Hedglon July 22, 1930 2,776,508 Hutson Ian. 8, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 654,290 France Nov. 28, 1928 380,070 Great Britain Sept. 5, 1932 56,810 Denmark Oct. 16, 1939 

